Lately, one of my most requested nail tutorials has been a French manicure. Often, I feel that the French manicure seems to get lost in the sea of neons, crackles, magnetic polishes, and other current trends. I like to wear a very clean, natural nail look on occasion and French tips are perfect for days at the office, special occasions, or any other time or event.
Rather than taking a trip to the salon, I like to paint my own French tips and have been using three different freehand techniques for as long as I remember. The photos below show three different looks that I created using two French manicure sets from bornprettystore.com.
The first set, which can be found here,
http://www.bornprettystore.com/french-manicure-nail-varnish-nail-polish-p-1877.html, features the typical French manicure colours (white, a light peachy base, and a top coat to finish).
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Aem2dNLA6ok/UCfEkWgxsJI/AAAAAAAADHw/845KE7conis/DSC05165_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
I created this look and another using this set:
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gqpV04TsrZ0/UCfElWB90jI/AAAAAAAADIA/mO7uIEgHu8U/DSC05132_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
The second set (
http://www.bornprettystore.com/french-manicure-nail-polish-p-1412.html) includes a gorgeous pop of colour that I have not seen in other French manicure kits. One of the polishes is a gorgeous pinkish-red jelly shade that acts as a fun base and also a nice colour to wear year round.
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YJ8EKgZOHN0/UCfEnnhJ5XI/AAAAAAAADIQ/lYT68Q_AGBE/DSC05162_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
As you can see from the photo below, the bright yet wearable shade really emphasizes and complements the white tips.
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FgFDSmig1B0/UCfEooeQdfI/AAAAAAAADIg/4EToCYdUW8s/DSC05151_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
The sets retail for around $9 each which is reasonable for three polishes. Each set comes with tip guides that allow you to create a precise white tip. I also have a coupon code that will give you 7% off site wide: BEAUTY4K31
Let me know which technique is your favourite or if you have any other tips and tricks for painting perfect French tips.
~Beauty Writer